Onyx
by fyd818
Summary: On a rainy day in Philadelphia, soul mates meet and a great love story begins. . . JasperAlice
1. Alice

Disclaimer: The awesome "Twilight" and all characters belong to the lovely Stephenie Meyer

Disclaimer: The awesome "Twilight" and all characters belong to the lovely Stephenie Meyer. I am making no monetary gain from this fic, I am just a poor, lowly college girl, who owns the books but not the characters (though Marie is mine!).

Summary: On a rainy day in Philadelphia, soul mates meet and a great love story begins. . .

Rating: K+

Warnings: None

Pairing: Alice/Jasper

Title: _Onyx_

Author: fyd818

Part: 1/3

**Dedication**: To _Dia.Dahling_, who is such an encouragement in my writing – particularly my forays in to the _Twilight_ universe. And to _Mama Jo_: mom, beta, and friend. Thank you both!

Author's note: I know there are a lot of stories out there about how Alice and Jasper met, written before and after Stephenie revealed the details, but this is kind of my own personal spin on it. Just a little drabble to relieve some stress, and because Alice and Jazz are the awesomeness. Thank you so much for taking the time to check this out – and I hope you enjoy!

**  
****Onyx**

_fyd818_

Alice POV

I sat on the same stool every day. The old one at the farthest end of the counter, the one with the cracked tan vinyl seat, by the potted plant. At sunrise, as the diner opened, I would come in, sit down, and order coffee. Then, when the wait staff wasn't looking, I'd gift the potted plant with the vile-tasting – and smelling – drink. I noticed they'd replaced the plant four times since I'd started coming here, but I don't think they ever connected the old ones' deaths with me. I just hoped they wouldn't stop buying them.

Occasionally I would order some food, just to try to blend in. I went through a variety of different tastes, but never found anything particularly appetizing or that would stay down easily. I also made sure the rays of the sun leaking through the large front windows never touched me, lest I blow my cover.

I knew, eventually, all this stealth and torture would be worth it. I just had to wait, to bide my time until he came. I waited from sunrise to far after sunset, when the diner would close and the manager would kick me out. No one ever asked me why I stayed so long, or came in every day – perhaps they, like every other human, were too unsettled by my too-pale skin, my painstakingly-maintained gold eyes, my cold touch. Whatever things that bothered them about me, however (if there was anything that bothered them), didn't prevent them from taking my money each day, or letting me come and sit and wait.

I hoped he'd come soon. I was almost out of money to pay. It wouldn't look good if I just came in, sat, waited, and didn't eat or drink anything.

Eventually I struck up a friendship with one of the waitresses. A tall brunette, she had a wide, welcoming smile that crinkled the corners of her big blue-grey eyes. Marie, her name tag said. She didn't seem to be as unsettled around me as others, and on the slow times in her shift she would come talk to me.

"You seem to be waiting for something, honey," she said. Her accent was very light, but obviously a throwback to centuries past, when the first settlers came to America. "Care to share with a sympathetic ear?"

I didn't explain everything, of course. I didn't know much about the vampire world I'd been born into with no memory, but I did know we didn't reveal our identities, risk ourselves and others of our kind. Neither did I tell her of the Gift, my Sight, which gave me glimpses of the one I waited so patiently but eagerly for.

"I am waiting," I said when I got my thoughts in order.

Marie clucked her tongue. "You've been waiting a good while, sweetie. I don't know if he's worth it."

I tipped my head to the side and thought about that for a minute. I'd never considered this angle before. From the moment I woke as a vampire, I'd been looking forward to meeting this man. I'd traveled a very long ways, and waited a very long time, to meet him. I knew he'd come to this diner; I knew I'd meet him. I knew I'd be happy with him, I could See that. But. . . That was only a short time into the future after I met him. Would I be happy with him _all_ the time? How could I not, though? To wait so long for him, only to be disappointed later. . . It was impossible. Simple as that.

"I think he's worth it," I finally responded. My voice was so soft I could barely hear it, but my answer was certain.

Marie smiled. "Sweet girl like you deserves someone who's worth it." She nodded. "That's right. Don't you let anyone tell you differently." Then she picked up her coffee pot and swirled off to serve a couple sitting at the opposite end of the counter from me.

I had the same conversation with Marie a good nine or ten times. Each time I would say with determination he was worth waiting for. And Marie would smile and say "He'd better be worth it, after standing you up so many days." But she never asked why I waited, why I seemed so determined to wait forever, if that's what it took.

Days passed. They were all blurs of avoiding sunlight, food, and coffee as much as possible; talking with Marie; and more of this endless waiting. I didn't lose hope, though. Each day I checked my Sight, to make sure he was still on the same track, the same path. Each day he seemed to come closer, my Vision coming closer to coming true.

On a gloomy, rainy day, I took a chance of going into the diner without being careful to feed beforehand. Even though the clouds protected me, I hated rainy weather. I tried to be naturally upbeat and cheerful, and the sun helped that. Rain just made me depressed.

As I settled onto my normal stool and accepted the cup of coffee Marie gave me (and then gifted the newest potted plant with it as soon as her back was turned), I became aware of a certain electric charge in the air. It wasn't from the storm outside, with the flashes of bright lightning and the rolling thunder right after. No, it was a taste of excitement, of anticipation of sorts. It was different than any of my other days.

And, somehow, I knew today was finally the day.

Marie filled my coffee cup. "You think today's the day, honey?" She asked. It was the same question she asked me every day as she refilled my cup for the first time.

"No. I _know_ today's the day." I cradled the chipped white mug in my hands, enjoying the warmth against my cold, hard skin.

My friend nearly dropped her carafe. "Really? It's today?" A small smile twitched her lips. "Then I'll be watching the front door, sweetie."

I returned her smile, waited until her back was turned, and dumped out some of my coffee. Why not – this was the last plant I'd have to kill.

The day wore on, seeming longer and more tiring than any others that passed before it. My eternal clock had granted me patience, but that luxury passed me by today. I sat turned on my stool, watching the front windows, holding my breath (and not just because of the somewhat tantalizing scents around me), waiting for him.

"More coffee, Alice?"

I turned to smile at her. "Yes, thank you."

Marie filled my cup as she hummed, a soft sound that slowly calmed my excited nerves. Behind me, the bell on the door jingled merrily. My friend glanced up, turned back to my cup, and then did a double take. "Oh my gosh," she whispered. "Sweetie, is that him?"

I hardly dared hope. After all these years, all these miles, all this _anticipation_ – could I dare risk being disappointed? But I steeled my nerves and turned to look at the person who had just entered the diner.

Honey-blond hair fell in slight disarray around a face as pale as mine. The ethereal beauty of those familiar features; the leonine grace with which he stood, surveying the room; the worn jeans and dusty shirt which he wore. . . All this, and more, was what I'd been waiting for.

He looked up, and his eyes met mine. They were black, a deep onyx that seemed to draw me into a depth so powerful I couldn't breathe. I'd seen those eyes many colors in the past years: bright burgundy, the black they were now – and, in the still-uncertain future, the same gold as mine.

For a moment I couldn't move, so trapped was I by that gaze. Then Marie poked me in the back, and I jumped a little. "That's him," I breathed.

"Go, sweetie. He's waiting for you."

She was right. He was waiting on me, and I was waiting on him. I slid off my stool and slowly walked across the room toward him, begging my knees not to shake. He watched me come with those suspicious black eyes, his powerful muscles tensed as if to flee at the slightest wrong move by me. His breathing was shallow, through his mouth, and I could somehow sense the struggle he was having. I knew, without asking, this was a struggle for him. To trust. To keep from giving in to his most basic of instincts, to attack and destroy me and kill everyone in the diner.

But he was already disciplined, I could tell. In his eyes, I saw a tiredness, a plea for help from this existence, from the norm _for us_. I felt more confident, more in love, _happier_, the closer to him I got.

I stopped less than a foot away and looked up into his eyes, which were now more surprised than suspicious. I stuck out my hand toward him, smiled my sweetest, and addressed him for the first time. "You've kept me waiting a long time." It wasn't really what I meant to say, though it was the truth. The rest would come later – in time.

To my surprise, he ducked his head and looked at me from beneath long lashes, the same color as his hair, as he reached out his hand to shake mine. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said. His accent, deeply Southern – Texas, if I had to hazard a guess – immediately made me feel warm inside, where I'd been so cold and empty for so long.

And as we shook hands, I knew the wait was worth it, simply because we were meant to be.

_**-End Part I-**_


	2. Jasper

Please see first part for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

Part 2/3

Author's note: Okay. . . So I wrote part two, from Jasper's POV. I received some really nice reviews for the first part, and most of them encouraged the second part, and then Dia _challenged_ me to write this. Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I hope you enjoy!

**Onyx Part II**

Jasper POV

My lifespan as an eternal being, to date, has granted me many things. More time than I know what to do with; strength beyond imagination; a heightened ability to sense and change the emotions of those around me. . .

But, what it appeared to take away from me in exchange was my humanity. Not just what made me _like them_, soft and fragile and warm; but the very basic elements that made me _value_ the same things they did. Life didn't matter much when you were pretty near indestructible. It mattered even less over the span of my time in Maria's army. According to her teaching, life was _meant_ to be taken away.

In contrast, that time with Maria taught me something else, too. I was tired of this

existence: of the killing – the hate, the anger, the deliberate intent to extinguish the lamp of life; tired of feeling the fear, the overwhelming horror in each and every one of my victims; _tired_ of being a vampire. So I left Maria's army to try something new. I was a soldier – those instincts were bred into me, almost. Recruiting and training her army only cemented what already existed in my nature.

But I wanted to find a new way, a peaceful way that didn't include the murders of innocent humans and the mass genocide of year-old newborns. I wanted – needed – something, someone, _different_. I wasn't entirely sure what exactly, or _who_ exactly, I was looking for, though.

So I just wandered.

At first, after escaping Maria, I traveled with my old friends (and fellow vampire army escapees), Peter and Charlotte. They'd moved far up north, away from Texas, to the protection of near-constant cloud cover. But I wasn't happy with them, like I'd expected to be. They still killed humans – and enjoyed it. I still killed humans myself – I was far from innocent, indeed! – but I didn't _enjoy_ it. Quite the opposite, actually. I hated myself for every life I'd extinguished in my attempt to keep myself existing. I tried to stop myself – but the thirst had ruled me far too long.

So I wished my friends luck and moved on. I would always be thankful to Peter for helping me escape from Maria, but I couldn't justify staying with them. So, again, I began to wander south – but not toward Texas. I would _never_ go back there, if I had a say in the matter. From Maine, I kept fairly close to the coast, but stayed as far into the woods as I could. The less often I crossed the path of temptation, the better for everyone.

Occasionally I struck upon a clearing. When the sun shone, I laid in this private sanctuary and allowed the warm orb to shine its light on me. But eventually I moved on, steadily south: discontent with wandering but unsure of where I should go. For so long all I'd known was Texas, Maria, and her army. I knew little – or to be completely honest, nothing – of true love, but I wanted it so badly. Or, if not true love, a friend. A true friend whom I could share everything with, without risk of being judged. Someone I could trust beyond all logical thought or reason. Someone with whom I wouldn't mind sharing eternity.

By the time I reached Pennsylvania, I'd lost hope of finding anyone. The few vampires I met along the way I wanted nothing to do with. I stayed far away from them. The ones that sensed me there, as I sensed them, showed nothing but hostility. I just _knew_ there were none others like me. I was a freak, in the truest sense of the word. A misfit. A shame to all vampires in the world.

I knew I would have to hunt soon. I had been putting it off, maybe too long. I didn't want to go through that overwhelming terror, then the long bout with depression that came after. I smelled humans nearby and immediately stopped. Perhaps here. . . I would see, at least, what this cluster of humans had to offer.

Slowly, I picked my way down a steep embankment to the road. Worn pack on my back, dusty clothes on my body, tiredness in my eyes and step, I made my way down the cracked, old pavement toward the nearest hub of human civilization. It was daylight, and though I was uncomfortable going out in the daytime hours, I knew I needed to adjust to it if I wanted to show any semblance of being normal. The cloud cover overhead helped me a little. With no sun, and the diminished light, it helped give the impression of being closer to sunset rather than sunrise.

A small white sign, cheerful and bright despite the weather, sat just out of sight from where the smell of humans was the strongest. _Welcome to Philadelphia!_ it proclaimed. I didn't care where I was, really, just so long as there were humans and no vampires – well, no hostile ones, anyway. I stuck my hands in my jeans pockets and walked on, not bothering to read the rest of the sign. What was the point? There would be nothing truly interesting to me here, anyway. It was just another stop on the endless, timeless road ahead of me.

_Philadelphia_ was bigger than I'd thought it'd be. As I aimlessly wandered the streets, head down, gait casual, I realized there was more temptation around than I thought. That wasn't good.

I hit the heart of the busiest part of the city about three hours or so after I'd first smelled the humans. A light mist fell from the sky, deepening my depression. I held my breath. All these smells. . . So much temptation. . .

Whatever had possessed me to come here, anyway? Shouldn't I have known it'd just end in disaster?

It began to rain harder. Raindrops that felt more like little bullets bounced off my head and sheeted off every available surface. Everyone on the streets and sidewalks ducked through the closest doorways, trying to obtain some sort of cover. I was very sorely tempted to keep going, just to duck my head and walk on, for all of two seconds. The whole point of this exercise was to _keep_ from being noticed. Walking around in the rain like an idiot wouldn't help me maintain my extraordinarily fragile cover.

A door caught my attention to the right. It was as good a place as any, I supposed. I just hoped the rain would stop very, very soon so I wouldn't give in to temptation.

I closed my hand around the handle, twisted, and pulled. A bell hanging over the door jingled merrily, an almost humorous contrast to my mood. I stepped in and allowed the door to thump shut behind me. For a moment I stood on the cheerful blue doormat, rainwater dripping off my clothes, my backpack, my hair. I knew I could easily blend in; because I was thirsty, my eyes were black instead of red. But, on the flip side, since I was thirsty, I was putting all these humans in so much more danger.

So I stood in the doorway, surveying the inside of the place. It was obviously an eatery, a fact attested to by the tables and chairs set around the room. Three couples sat around the room at different tables; two businessmen sat at another; a group of three girls – barely out of their teens, if they even were – sat at another, by the window. They were gawking openly at me, but it was not they on whom my attention centered.

A small girl sat on a high stool at the very end of the counter. A sick-looking plant sat in a pot next to her. Behind the counter, a tall brunette stood staring at me with wide blue eyes, her mouth a small "o" of shock. But the black-haired girl perching on her stool claimed all my attention.

It was only then I caught the scent – vampire. There was another of my kind here, and I was sure I knew exactly which one it was.

The dark haired pixie gracefully slid off her stool. A smile stretched her lips as she walked toward me. Though perhaps _walk_ wasn't the right word; her gait resembled a dance more than an actual walk. She was the most graceful vampire I'd ever seen.

But instinct and inherent suspicion had been ingrained in me for too many years. I tensed, expecting her to attack. What other purpose could she possibly have? Perhaps Maria somehow found out I was going to come here, and she sent this little vampire to destroy me. I wouldn't put it past her.

But. . . There was something wrong with my suspicion. This little thing was _smiling_ at me. It wasn't a malicious smile, an _I'm going to get you_ smile. It was a warm, welcoming, beautiful smile, like nothing I'd seen before. Like she was _happy_ to see me. And the sheer _emotion_ roiling off her – like _nothing_ I'd ever felt before.

She stopped a few feet away from me, her smile sweet. I looked her over, but saw no aggression in her stance. Her eyes, almost as black as mine (but with a curious tint of gold to them) shone like two shiny stars as she stuck out her incredibly small hand toward me. "You've kept me waiting a long time," she scolded playfully.

I blinked, absolutely shocked. This small creature, this vampire pixie I'd never met before, but who seemed to know me, was actually _happy_ to see me? I managed to move past my shock enough to take her hand. Embarrassed, I ducked my head. "I'm sorry, ma'am," I said softly. I had no clue why she'd been waiting for me – or even how long this "long time" was, but. . . I was _happy_ she'd been waiting. There was something about her. . .

She smiled again. And, suddenly, I knew _this_ was what – _whom_ – I was supposed to find. Simply because we were meant to be.

_**-End Part II-**_


	3. Esme

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

Part 3/3

**Author's note:** While quite satisfied with how "Onyx" parts one and two turned out, I still felt the story was incomplete. Mama Jo, lovely beta she is, was the one who realized the problem. The story _was_ incomplete. I had yet to bring Alice and Jasper to the Cullen family. So this is (I promise!) the last installment of "Onyx." I hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading!

**Onyx Part III**

Esme POV

"Esme, what do you think of this?"

I looked up from my book, distracted by Rosalie's question. She spun before me, blonde hair flying, skirt of her salmon-colored dress puffing out in swirls around her legs. "That color doesn't go quite right with your skin, dear," I told her. "But the style looks good on you."

Rosalie sighed and headed back upstairs. I knew she wanted to look her best when Emmett came home from his hunting trip with Edward – but did she have to parade past me in every single outfit she owned?

Carlisle looked up from his medical journal, smile infectious. "Poor Emmett," he said.

"Poor me," I corrected. "Emmett will have the luxury of seeing the finished product. I, however, have to see the start, finish, and everything in between."

"I heard that!" Rosalie called from upstairs.

Carlisle and I chuckled. "When are Edward and Emmett supposed to be back?" I asked. I set my book aside, giving up on it for the time being. It wasn't like I wouldn't have time to finish it later.

"In a few days," my husband replied. "I don't think they set an exact return date. They're probably having too much fun."

I shook my head indulgently. "Boys," I sighed.

"Hey, I'm one of those!" Carlisle protested. Then he winked.

I smiled, feeling warm inside despite my natural body temperature. Carlisle could always do that to me, make me feel so loved. Like I was the only girl on the face of the planet. . .

Rosalie came downstairs, dressed in a blue dress with white lace trim. I opened my mouth to tell her she looked fine, but then I noticed the expression in her gold eyes. "Someone's coming," she said softly. "Someone who is _not_ who we're expecting."

Carlisle was out of his seat in a moment, headed for the front of the house. I motioned for Rose to stay behind me and followed. We'd met curious passersby before, those who were confused by our way of life and wanted to know more. But they always wound up moving on. A few had been less than friendly, but nothing had come of that because of the sheer size of our group – five healthy, strong vampires. But with Emmett and Edward gone, with two females and one male, perhaps we didn't show _quite_ as strong a front. Were these vampires hostile, or friendly?

Stepping up behind Carlisle, I peered around his arm. The expanse of the front lawn stretched from the base of the front porch to the rim of trees shaping the forest almost a quarter mile away. The sun shone intermittently from the clouds, confining us all indoors for today. Yet two figures – one very tall, one very short – approached the house, skin sparkling like diamonds. They weren't concerned: they knew we were vampires, and apparently they weren't worried about _us_ knowing _they_ were vampires.

"Carlisle—" I began.

"Shh," he cautioned. "They don't _look_ hostile." He stepped out onto the wide, old-fashioned front porch as the two vampires came closer. As they did, I began to notice more about them. The short one was female, with short-cropped black hair framing an almost elfin face. Her smile – broad, friendly, sincere – tempted me to relax. Her taller, male, companion eyed us all with a hint of suspicion, his unruly honey-blond hair framing his forehead, hanging shaggily in the back. The sleeves of his plaid shirt, rolled up to his elbows, bared his arms to the sunlight. As the sun cleared the clouds again, I noticed the crescent moon-shaped marks crisscrossing his arms. _He's a fighter!_ I realized with a start. I darted a look at Carlisle to see if he'd noticed.

He had. "May I inquire as to your intentions here?" His smile, open and friendly, did not quite disguise the note of suspicion in his voice.

The little female danced up to the porch and held out her hand. "I'm Alice Whitlock," she said. "This is Jasper. And you are Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie Cullen," she said, indicating each of us in turn. "Where are Edward and Emmett?" She paused for a moment, seeming deep in thought, then smiled and shrugged. "Hunting, of course. Never mind. What rooms can we move into?"

For a moment all three of us stood, stunned, staring at them. _My!_ I thought. _These two are – are—_ I couldn't think of a good enough word. _Surely Carlisle won't let them stay?_

Alice and Jasper moved into Edward's room. When my sons returned, Edward found his things in the garage. _That_ took a lot of explaining! Only after they'd become acquainted with the newest members of our family (and the use of Edward's special gift) did I realize—

—I_ still_ hadn't finished my book.

_**-The End-**_


End file.
